Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a popular, low-growing perennial groundcover that tolerates light foot traffic. This hardy plant is frequently used as a drought-tolerant lawn alternative, between paving stones, or for erosion control in sunny areas. When planning to cover a large landscape, such as a full yard or extensive bank, sourcing the plant in bulk is necessary. Finding the most economical and efficient way to purchase these significant quantities is the first step toward a successful large-scale planting project.
Defining Bulk Formats for Creeping Thyme
Creeping thyme is available in several formats, each offering a different balance of cost, establishment time, and required labor for large-scale coverage. The most common bulk option is the plug, a small, rooted seedling typically sold in trays of 32 to 100 or more. Plugs offer faster establishment than seeds because they already possess a developed root system, allowing them to spread more quickly once planted.
Seeds represent the most budget-friendly bulk format, with a single pound capable of covering up to 10,000 square feet when broadcast. However, seeds require careful surface preparation and a longer period—often up to two or three years—to form the dense mat desired for full ground coverage. Less common are bare root cuttings, which are an economical intermediate option, and pre-grown mats or trays, which provide instant, dense coverage but are significantly more expensive and less frequently offered in wholesale quantities.
Primary Sources for Bulk Orders
The type of supplier chosen for a bulk creeping thyme order affects the purchase price, quantity minimums, and shipping logistics. Online specialty nurseries offer the widest variety of Thymus cultivars and are a primary source for plugs and trays, often providing direct-to-consumer shipping for large orders. While convenient, the weight of many trays can result in substantial shipping costs, which must be accounted for in the final price per plant.
Wholesale perennial growers and local commercial nurseries are the best resource for the largest quantities, such as pallets of plugs or flats. These suppliers typically offer the lowest unit price but often require the purchaser to have a business account or meet high minimum order requirements, sometimes in the thousands of units. For individuals with a smaller but still substantial project, major home improvement stores or garden centers may offer bulk pricing on flats of plugs during the spring season, though the selection of specific creeping thyme varieties is usually limited.
Calculating Quantity and Cost
Accurately determining the number of plants needed is a crucial step that directly impacts the total quantity purchased and the final project cost. The spacing of plugs is the main variable, with options ranging from six inches apart for rapid, dense coverage, to twelve inches apart for a more gradual establishment. For example, a tray of 32 plugs spaced six inches apart will cover approximately six square feet, while the same tray spaced twelve inches apart will cover sixteen square feet.
Measuring the total area in square feet allows a purchaser to use these density calculations to determine the exact number of plugs or the amount of seed required. When evaluating the total expenditure, purchasers must look beyond the initial price per plug or ounce of seed to include volume discounts, which many wholesale suppliers offer. Shipping fees for live plants are a significant factor and should be divided across the total number of units to determine the true cost per individual plant or per square foot of eventual coverage.
Large-Scale Planting and Establishment
Once the bulk order has been secured, proper soil preparation is necessary to ensure the plants establish quickly and thrive. The planting site should be cleared of all weeds and grasses, with the soil loosened to a depth of six to eight inches. Creeping thyme prefers well-draining soil, so incorporating coarse sand or fine gravel is often recommended to prevent root rot in areas with heavy clay.
The logistics of planting hundreds or thousands of plugs can be streamlined by using a consistent planting tool or by marking the desired spacing grid with landscape paint or string lines. Immediately following installation, a consistent and thorough watering schedule is required for the first four to six weeks while the root systems develop. New plants are not yet drought-tolerant and need the soil to be kept evenly moist, but not saturated, to encourage the spread of the shallow root structure necessary for long-term survival.